


[Meta] Episode 5.08 ("Ka Hana Malu")

by wanderlustlover



Series: Hawaii Five-0 Season Five Meta [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-26
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 01:52:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2674481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderlustlover/pseuds/wanderlustlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meta pieces from 5.08.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Are we going to see Catherine again on Hawaii Five-0? — Catelyn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alemara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alemara/gifts).



>   
>  **Are we going to see Catherine again on Hawaii Five-0? — Catelyn**
> 
>  
> 
> Would you settle for at least hearing about her? Executive producer Peter Lenkov says that Catherine-McGarrett ‘shippers will definitely want to tune in to the Nov. 21 episode, which also features guest star Carol Burnett. ”McGarrett talks about Catherine and the status of their relationship,” Lenkov says. “I know people have been asking, ‘Where’s Catherine? What’s happening with Catherine?’ So we’re going to answer that.”

I have so many interesting thoughts about this. I do like to constantly remark that Lenkov is not great at articles, interviews or teasers, because half the time he gives himself away too transparently and half the time he never backs up what he promises. 

Like Steve mourning Cath, which we got prostrations about coming (and this was only ever mentioned as his first defense about Ellie not being a love interest “for the first half of the season” because of Catherine. Everyone’s seen how well that defense held up, eight episode in, right?). 

~*~

**My thoughts on this new release in order:**

1\. The first answer to the question with a question, is an answer in disguise. He just avoided pointing out that she won’t be in the episode, and likely anything in the foreseeable future. Or he wouldn’t need to hedge the answer. And he wouldn’t phrase it as “would you settle for at the least.” 

Because words are all anyone will get of Cath now. And only eight episodes of her never existing and no one noticeably missing her or mentioning her later. She like everything else in S3-S4 has been studiously unmentioned this season

2\. The last thing he claimed as “for the shippers” was 4.21 episode. And we all saw how travesty-laden and unshippy that ended up. Save for Lenkov’s one last nail in the coffin saying I love you’s after the least convincing unhelpful/undefending/abandonment scene ever on Cath’s part (which I am still not over feeling offended of on her part for and annoyed on Steve’s). 

3\. Nothing about this hints that it will be a positive thing, anymore than his “I did” in the sneak peek. It would be simple to hint anything here. Especially any kind of devotion the shippers should be looking for. But all this says really is “You won’t be seeing her” and “You’ll get an answer to your questions you keep asking shortly” (even though there’s been nothing else to show either way all season). 

Which makes me wonder if the show is about to dispatch her from Steve as fast as it did with “It’s not you. I like to live alone” dispatching their entire living situation like as never having existed without her even in the scene between Steve & Jerry. Just this time with Deb & Steve.


	2. Meta on Catherine Rollin’s Exit

 

> _Deb: ”You’re so willing to risk your life, when are you going to be willing to risk your heart?”_
> 
> _Steve: "I did."_
> 
> _Deb: ”Then, where’s Catherine?”_
> 
> _Steve: "She’s in Afghanistan, Deb."_
> 
> _Deb: ”Why?”_
> 
> _Steve: "We were there together, looking for a little boy she knew from her time in the country. [Name]. Kidnapped by the Taliban. Catherine found him. He’s okay. She’s worried that the Taliban will come back. So, she decided to stay a while. Try to protect these kids in the village. She’s teaching in a little school. She’s making a life._
> 
> _Deb: “So, she’s not coming back?”_
> 
> _Steve: "She said to I shouldn’t wait for her. That she’s found her place."_

I have seen a lot of people on both sides yelling “No! This would never happen!” and “Ding Dong! The witch is dead officially!” But what I haven’t seen anyone talk about is sheerly miraculous nuances of this exit that no one else seems to be denoting.

~*~

**Catherine Rollins was not:**

\- Murdered in cold blood (Jameson, Laura, Jenna, Malia)

\- She was not kicked out due to “feelings” (Lori)

\- She was not let go of due to being show-forgotten (Gabby)

\- She was not given absolutely no reason for leaving (Doris)

\- She was not removed as a betrayal of Steve (Jenna, Doris, Jameson)

**Catherine Rollins got to:**

-Choose to go off into the world and save someone who mattered to her, and her past, and her future

\- Save that person, without someone else coming to her rescue or doing all the hard work for her, just her and her mission

\- Choose to go on doing this job/mission and grow it even further, protecting these people (“kids”) and teaching them (in the “school”)

\- Choose to tell the Alpha Male she wasn’t coming back to him, and not to wait for her

\- Find the place that made her feel like she was doing something good/right/needed and choose it

\- Find job worthwhile, that was “her place,” to fill the void left by quitting the Navy, and losing her first partner (and one of her only other dear ex-boyfriend) right out of Navy

I’ve no love loss over Michelle Borth after what she did to my life and those near me during that crazy spring, and I have no massive love loss over losing Catherine from the show (not because I hate her, I actually love Cath & Steve as their complicated own thing and not The Super Duo, but I do hate the terrible shoddy, convenient, sexy costume, favor girl box they left her in, without letting her [or the relationship] ever face any real challenges and grow from them).

But that list up there? Of the things they **didn’t do** to her, and **the self-autonomy** they gave her?

**I want to kiss the frickin’ ground about what they gave a female character with that move, even if it was only in the dialogue of Steve to someone else.**

 

****That was all about HER and not about HIM.****


End file.
